Elevator-signal.



B. E. FANNING.

ELEVATOR SIGNAL.

7 APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11,1907.

Patented Dec. .21, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m a g B. E. FANNING.

ELEVATOR SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.11,1907.

3 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

B. E. FANNING.

ELEVATOR SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1907.

n T 9E Am 5 Z f Du as m m m r wrlfw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BURTON E. FANNING, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ELEVATORwSIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent. 'Pa.tente 1- Dec, 21, 1909,

Application filed September 11, 1907. Serial Nc. 392,285.

improvements in Elevator-Signals,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a signal. system adapted for use on passenger elevators such as are used in ofiicc buildings and the like and the prime object thereof is to provide a system which will immediately notify the operators in all the elevator cages of any intending passenger, the floor he is waiting on and the direction in which he wishes to be taken.

A further object is to provide a system in which the signals given to the elevator operators by an intending passenger are immcdiately retracted when any one of the operators answers the call.

In furtherance of the lastnamed object it is an object to provide mechanism whereby only an elevator going in the direction which the intending passenger has indicated as the direction in which he wishes to go can retract the signals given by such passenger; and it is also an object to provide mcchan ism whereby the intending passenger must be given ample opportunity to enter a car going in the direction which he has indicated before the signals can be removed.

A further object is to provide a series circuit for the different signalsso that all the signals will be operated simultaneously in a system which is economical in operation and initial construction A further object is to provide such a system in a simple and economical form with a minimum of flexible cables leading to the cages and with a minimum ofwiring connections to the different parts of the system.

A further object is to provide simple and etficient mechanism to accon'iplish the mechanical operations which are necessary to the operation of the system.

Lastly an object is to provide such a system which may be applied to any number of elevator cages operating in a building of any number of floors.

I accomplish these objects by means of the device described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1.-isa diagrammatic view of my complete system for a building of four floors and three elevator cages. Fig. 2.is an end elevation of the reversin device located at the top of each elevator s aft. Fig. 3.- is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4-.-is a cross section taken on line 4- 1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5.-is a longitudinal section of the reversing device. Fig. 6.--is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. and showing the clutch mechanism of the reversing device. Fig. 7.is a sectional view of one of the elevator shafts showing the disposition of the mechanism connected to the elevator cage and the shaft doors. Figs. 8 9 and 10 are side elevations of oneof the door switches with the casing removed Referring to the drawings designates a dynamo or other source of electrical energy which is adapted to supply current to the system about to be described. Located on each floor at some convenient point are signal push buttons. A; B and C B C and D the buttons designated by Al B and G being the up buttons and the buttons designated by B C and D be ing the down buttons. -'I his system of lettering will be carried out. for those parts of the device which have to do wit-h the different floors; the floors will be lettered A, B, C, l'hthe up devices will be num-- bored with an uneven sufiia and the down devices will be numbered with even suflixes. In each of the elevator cages are signals A3, B B". etc. The appropriate ones of which are designated in the cage as up and down and which connect to corre-' sponding up and down push buttons for the difi'erent floors as will be hereinafter described. Attached to each of the shaft doors, as shown more clearly in Fig. 7, are switches A". A, A etc, which are connected in the correspondingup and down circuits to the push buttons and signals for each floor. At the top of each shaft is mounted a series'of switches A, A" AW, etc. and B B e, B etc. These are switches which. control the up and down circuits and render it impossible for any but a car going in the proper direction to throw oil a signal; Located at any convenient place are relays A, B C and B, C and D which connect with the cor-- responding up and d'own buttons for the different floors.

As the connections and o erations of all the signals are precisely simi ar to each other a detailed explanation of one signal and circuit will suflice for all. For the purposes of explanation I will take button 3 which is the 5 up button on the third floor. lVir-es and 31 lead from this butto to the relays and connect with relay C wh belongs to this particular push button. l he 30 is connected directly to the winding of the relay, the other side of the winding leading oil through wire 32 to connectto wire 33. Wire 33 passes through door switch C which is the up switch on the third floor door. Wire 34 leads from the other side of the switch and connects with wire 35 which leads to signal (1 the up signal for the third floor in the elevator cage. I have shown this'signal as a miniature electric light and such may be preferably used, but any approved form, such as an annunciator, may be used in its stead and be equally etficient. A wire 36 leading from signal C connects with feed wire 37 which leads directly to dynamo This completes the circuit on one side from push button 0 to the source of energy. On the other side the circuit is as follows Wire 31 which leads to relay 21 before referred to, is connected by a branch wire 38 directly to signal 0 which is the up signal for the third floor in'another of the elevator cages. Wire 39 leading from the other side of signal C leads to door switch C from which a wire 41 leads and connects directly to wire leading directly to door switch C". These two door switches, C and G are the up two elevator shafts. A wire 42 leads from the other side of switch C directly to signal C which is the up signal for the third floor in the remaining elevator cage. A wire 43 connects signal U with teed wire i l which passes back to dynamo 20.

Through the above described circuit it will be manifest that when push button C is closed the up signals in all the cages for the third floor will be operated in series with each other. With the apparatus as so far described the signals would be immediately extinguished upon the release of push button To hold these signals on I have provided the relays above referred to and which operate in the following inanner: The winding of relay C is connected directly in series with the push button and the signals as before described. Upon the closure of this series circuit the relay is en ergized to attract its armature d5 to which wire 31 leading from push button 0? is directly connected. A contact L6 is connected to wire 30 which also leads from the push button and with which contact armature 45 is adapted to engage upon the energization of the relay; Thus it will be seen that immediately after the depression of the push button the relay will be energized to "form a shunt across the circuit leading to the push button and the current flowing through the signals will thereupon flow through this shunt, the relay still being in the circuit, the push button alone being out out. The signals will then continue to be operated indefinitely or until the circuit through them is broken. To open this circuit is the function of the door switches, and in this particular case of switches C, C and C, which are connected all in series with the signals as above set forth. Upon the opening of any one of these particular switches it will be manifest that the circuit through the signals will be broken and relay 0 will resume its normal or open position and thus permanently 1 open the circuit through the signals, when the door switch may again be closed. The normal position of these door switches is a closed one, illust ated in Fig. 1, so that upon theclosurc of any push button and corresponding relay there Wlll be a complete circuit to operate the corresponding signals. The door switches are mounted in the elevator shafts at the corresponding doors and are adapted to be opened the instant the door is opened sufficiently to take on a passenger. The mechanical explanation of one of the switches will follow later in this description, the electrical explanation of the same being sutlicient for the present.

With the apparatus as so far described it will be manifest that a passenger may give to all the elevator operators a signal indiswitches on the third floor doors of the other eating the floor at which he is waiting and the direction in which he wishes to be taken. Any operator who opens the door at which the intending passenger is waiting would then extinguish the signal whether he were going in the direction in which the passenger wished to go, or in the other direction. To render it impossible for any but a car going in the intended direction to open the circuit l have provided a series of switches at the top of each elevator sha which are operated according to the dirco tion in which the respective ca es are running. Taking the switches which apply to the particular supposition in hand, switch C will be noted to be connected directly across wires 33 and 34 which lead to door switch C. This connection places switches C and C in multiple in the series circuit leading through the before mentioned signals and it will be manifest that to open this circuit both of these switches must be open. Switch G" is similarly connected in parallel with door switch C and switch C in parallel with door switch C.

As will be mechanically explained hereinafter, the up switches at the top of the shaft on the reversing device are open when the cage belonging to that shaft is traveling upwardly, the down switches being closed. Upon the downward movement of the cage the opposite conditions take place,

the down switches being open and the up switches being closed. In Fig. 1, I have shown the apparatus in a posltion 1ndicating that the left hand cagev is traveling downwardly and the two right hand cages traveling upwardly. Thus switch shown closed and switches C" and C are shown open. It will be manifest that door switch C may be opened and have no elt'ec't on the signals which will continue in operation as the circuit. is still closed through switch C which is connected in parallel with switch Ch. Upon the opening of either of switches C or C the circuit will he opened as switches C and C are both open, and relay (1 will consequently be deenergized. This operation will extinguish the signals which have been operated by the closure of push button C and will notify all the other operators that one of their number has answered the signal and taken on the passenger who was waiting on the floor to be taken npwardlyi a From the foregoing description it will be observed that with the aid of mechanical de vices to accomplish the operations set forth I am enabled to provide an elevator signal system which will accomplish the ()bJBCl'S as :set forth attheheginning of this specification.

The reversing device which operates at the upper end of each of the elevator shafts will first be described. Referring first to Fig. i, designates the-reversing device which is mounted in any suitable maliner preferably at the upper end of elevator shaft 5t. Cage 52 which bperates in shaft til has a. cable 53 attached to its roof which passes over reversing device 50 and thence downwardly to a pulley Fri mounted in the bottom of the shaft and thence upwardly to be secured to the tloor ohthe cage. Thus it will mani test that 'whceliifi of the device (see Fig. 2') will be rotated in one direction, say in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. and t, when the cage is passing upwardly and in the opposite direction when the cage is passing downwardly. This alternating movement of wheel 55 is utilized to open and .close switches A", 13 ,0 etc, and as each of the'devices are identicalwith each other only one will he described say the left hand one 111 Fig.1, mmsistsipreferablyof a base which is Reversing device 550 suitably oonstrutedwith bearings 5? for the journaling of shafts 58 and 59. Shaft carries wheel over which cable passes and which is mounted so as to turn loosely on the shaft. .Wheel 55 is provided with a clutch member 60 adapted to engage with a second clutch member 61 rigidly mounted on shaft As shown in Fig. '8 each of these clutch members has three quarters of its engaging face cut away leaving. lugs which are only ninety degrees in extent.

. after reversal before shaft 58 will he rotated. Shaft 58 is provided with an en- ;larged portion (32 against which friction rollers 63 mounted in frame iii-l and held in position by coiled spring 65 are adapted to press. Frame 64 is loosely mounted on shaft 58 but rigidly secured to shaft 59 by means of a set screw 66.

By the means above described a frictional connection is set up between shafts 58 and [I will be the down contacts.

59 and shaft 59 will thcretore be rotated with shaft 58 so long as no positive stop is otterer to its rotation. ()n the outer end of shaft 59 is mounted an insulating sleeve 87 which carries a number of projecting screws 88. Mounted on bearing 57 are switches A, l and G on one'side of sleeve 87 and B. C, and D on the other side of 7 the sleeve. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5 these switches are mounted opposite screws 58 so that upon the rotation of shaft 59 the screws will come in contact with one set of switches and close the circuit through the same as will be obvious from Fig. .2. As shown in that figure the normal position of these switches is open so that if wheel 55 rotates in the direction shown by the arrow when the ele ator cage is moving u wardly, the

contacts on the right will. be the up contacts as they are left open by such a rotation oi the device, and the contacts on the left Thus it the device is rotating int-he direction shown by the arrow screws 88 will be forced into ongagementwith switches B, C and l) and close. the same. To prevent any excessive movement ot the screws which might injure the switches or cause the screws to pass completely by them a short chain 9 is secured to frame (it and also to base so as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 which is of just sulficient length to permit the rotation of the device to close the switches on either side depending on which direction the cage is traveling. The object of permitting wheel to rotate through a halt revolution before operating the switches is to allow sn'lticient latitude tor the operators passing a floor and then returning to the same to accommodate a passenger. lVheel 55 is thus made of a proper diameter so that a distance equal to one halt of its circumference is equal to or slightly greater than the latitude allowed the operators in running by floor and returning Thus on the upward passage of a cage the up switches are kept continually open even it that cage should run downwardly for ashort distance, and an lit) a signal system for elevators whic elevator doors are each provided with pins 81 adapted to contact with pendent arms 82 and move those arms in the direction indicated by thearrow on Fi .i 8 upon either the opening or the closing 0 the elevator door: One of the switches is shown in detail in Figs" 8, 9 and 10 and the connections will be described as for switch C", which has hereinbefore been completely described electrically, and for its companion switch C which is the down switch on the third floor, These switches are mounted on a base plate 83, being insulated therefrom and from each othen ires 40 and 42 as before set forth, lead away from switch C to the other parts of the system, similar wires leading away from switch G, as shown, As illustrated in Fig, 8 both the switches are normally closed Arm 82 pivoted at 84 to base plate 83 and hangin normally in the position shown is provide on its upper end with two contact rollers 85 of insulating material Upon the movement of the lower end of rod 82 to the right in Fig, 8 contact rollers 85 are pressed into engagement with members 86 of the switches and the said members are forced awey from members 87, thus opening the. circuit An insulating block 88 is provided behind members 86 to limit the movement of the some so that they may not become broken from excessive bend in ilieswiteh descril ed is a typical one, being theequipinent for one of the interior iioors of the building, For the top or bottom iioor it is obvious that only one switch is needed as there need he no up switch 1;, a I, y (a as c in the top hoot and no oown snitch tor the bottom icon With this exception the door switches all duplicates of one an other:

From the foregoing description. of one of the circuits in particular a general idea-oi the whole system may be grasped The con:

nections for each and every one of the sig nals and corresponding'buttons are exactly similar to the one described in detail and the o erat-ions are exactly the same As speci ically described for one set oi; signals, the corresponding signals in all the cars are connected in series with each other and with an appropriate push'button and the source of electrical, energy. Also connected in selies in this circuit are two sets of switches, one set on the shaft doors and normally closed, the other set being open or closed according to the direction of movement of the car, the two sets 0t switches being con= nected in parallel with each other but both I in series with the main circuit.

It will be observed that 1- have :rovided accom plishcs all the purposes and objects of the usual signal systeinin that it notifies the operator oi the floor on which an intending passenger is waiting; and for the direction in which he wishes to be taken. Further it provides means whereby the signals may only be thrown off when such intending passenger has been given ample opportunity to take the car going in the direction which he wishes. Thus ever operator is a sin immediately notified upon any cafi being answered and any double answering of a i call is obviated As a result of this second notification the operators are continually informed of the amount of business to be handled and thus only asufiicient number of elevators need be kept running to handle that amount of business Thus a saving is made in the cost of elevator operation as the 2, In an elevator signal system, a source of series with each other; a relay adapted to iorrn shunt around said push button; and means to open said normally closed switch upon the opening of the elevator door at the door indicated by said signal 3C In an elevator signal system, a source of electrical ene1 a signal, a push button and a normally closed switch connected in series with each other; arelay adapted to form ashunt around said push button upon the closure of the circuit therethrou h; and a second switch connected in paral el with said normally closed switch, said second switch adapted to be opened and closed by the up and down operation of the elevator cage dc electrical energy, a signal, a push button and a normally closed switch connected in series with each other, said switcheda-pted to be opened when the elevator door corresponding to said signal is opened; erelay adapted to form a shunt around said push button upon the closure of the circuittherethro h; and: a second switch connected in para lel with said normally closed switch, said last namedvswitchadopted to be opened and closed by the vertical movements of an ele vator cage! 5 In an elevator signal system, a source of electrical energy; an elevator signal, a push button, and a normally closed switch consaid source of electrical energy; a rela adapted-to form a shunt around said pus full elevator force need only be run during electrical energy, signal, a push button and normally closed switch connected 1n nected in series-with each other and with In an elevator signal system, a source of I button; and means to automatically open said switch when the signal is answered.

6. In an elevator signal system, a source of electrical energy; an elevator signal, a normally open push buttoin and a normally closed switch connected in series with each other and with said source of electrical energy; a relay adapted to form a shunt around said push button; and means to automatically open said switch when the signal is answered.

7. In an elevator signal system, a source of electrical energy; an elevator signal, a manually operated normally open switch, and a normally closed switch connected in series with each other and with the source of electrical energy; and means to automatically open said closed switch when the signal is answered.

8. In an elevator signal system, a source of electrical energy; an elevator signal, a normally open circuit closing means, and a normally closed circuit 0 ening means connected in series with eac other and with said ing means; and means to automatically open said closed switch when the signal is answered.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of August, 1907.

BURTON E. FANNING.

Witnesses EDMUND A. STRAUSE, OLLIE PALMER. 

